The Riverwalk Roar

Happy Sunday, Pride!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. For our K-9th grade families, I hope you enjoy your full week off, and for our 10th-12th grade families, I hope you enjoy your three-day break.

This past Friday, Riverwalk Academy crossed another incredible milestone. It gives me great pleasure to say, “Welcome to Riverwalk Academy, Home of the 2024 1A State Championship Boys Cross Country Team!” That’s right—our boys brought home a state championship!

As for our girls’ team, who entered the state competition seeded fifth, they pulled off an impressive second-place finish. That’s right—our girls are state runners-up!

I also want to shine a spotlight on a few outstanding performances from our student-athletes:

• Gideon Nash (10th grade) was crowned state champion for finishing in first place!

• Hunter Willis (8th grade), Kenneth Baionno (10th grade), Kayden Schwister (10th), Landon Cabe (11th), Trent Marshall (10th grade) joined Gideon on the Boys 1A All-State Team for their top-10 finishes.

On the girls’ side:

• Teagan Carney (10th grade), Annie Carney (9th grade), and Evy Carroll (9th grade) earned spots on the Girls 1A All-State Team for their top-15 finishes.

What makes these achievements even more remarkable is the journey it took to get here. Throughout the season, our boys were ranked #1 in the state until a few weeks ago, when they moved to second behind Green Sea-Floyds. At that point, they had two options:

1. Be proud of a second-place finish, which would have already been a historic achievement for Riverwalk Academy.

2. Use the setback as motivation to work even harder.

They chose the latter. And their hard work paid off as they reclaimed the #1 spot at the state championship.

As for our girls, they entered the state meet seeded fifth. We were optimistic about a third-place finish, but the team had other plans. They never gave up, and their collective determination secured a second-place finish—by just one point! The Governor’s School’s first five runners scored points ahead of our first five, but our team’s relentless pace gave them the edge they needed.

After the celebrations, I asked Coaches Mark Wilson (boys) and Tessa Wilson (girls) about the secret to their teams’ success. Here’s what they shared:

• Have a shared goal.

• Make a plan.

• Stick to the plan.

• Trust the process.

• Trust each other.

These are some great life lessons that we can all learn from

Congratulations to our student-athletes, coaches, and everyone who supported them along the way. This victory is a testament to the power of perseverance, teamwork, and a winning mindset. Let’s continue to cheer on our Lions as they bring pride to Riverwalk Academy!

I hope everyone enjoys a week filled with gratitude and joy. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back next Monday!.

In Pride and Purpose,

~Dr. Compton

For that, all students will get to enjoy a thrilling race between admin and teachers on December 9th!